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A road trip to Rotorua for Saturday's Woods Contracting Taumarunui Gold Cup (2200m) might be Trisha Lea's last stop before jumps racing at Oakbank or Warrnambool next year.
Wairarapa trainer Kylie Little revealed that the staying feature was likely to be Trisha Lea's final run for the winter, though she is keen on the Zed six-year-old mare securing her jumping ticket with a view to a Victorian autumn campaign next year.
"This will probably be her last run - she's had a long preparation but hopefully she's got one more big one in her," Little said.
While a jumps career beckons Trisha Lea, her flat form this winter has her in the reckoning for Saturday's feature, having finished first or second in her last five starts, including a last-start second to Taumarunui Cup rival El Luchador in the Parlimentary Handicap (2200m) at Trentham earlier this month.
"She just got too far back and it was hard to make up that ground at Trentham," Little said.
"At Rotorua, they come off the front a bit there which is where her happy place is. We'll leave it up to Cameron (Lammas, jockey) but she'll go forward and position up handy, ideally in the first three or four.
"El Luchador was five lengths in front of her at Trentham but she came from a long way off him. I was happy enough with her run and she's pretty tough."
Trisha Lea gave Little cause for concern earlier this week when she kicked out at a fence and was ginger on that leg for a moment but the trainer said her charge was in excellent order for her weekend assignment.
"She had an injury scare but she hasn't missed any work and she's feeling pretty good judging by the way she was pulling my arms out in work today."
TAB bookmakers have Trisha Lea on the fourth line of betting for the Taumarunui Cup at $6.20 behind joint favourites El Luchador and Major Tom at $4.50 and Rodrico at $5.80.
Little also has her eye on stakes success at Awapuni with Notabadharada tackling the Listed Courtesy Ford Ryder Stakes (1200m) after finishing third to race rival Atenartin at Awapuni on debut.
"He's a bit of a gawker so we've put the blinkers on but I still thought for his first start as a two-year-old, he kicked on quite nicely. He went a really good race," Little said.
"He's come right on since that race." - NZ Racing Desk.